Thomas Patrick McKenna (7 September 1929 – 13 February 2011),[1][2][3] known professionally as T.P. McKenna, was an Irish actor who worked on stage, in film and television in Ireland and the UK from the 1950s.

On stage he appeared with leading theatre companies, including the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre Company. He was a member of the Abbey Theatre company from 1953 to 1962 performing in over seventy roles. In 1967 he was made an honorary life member of the company along with Cyril Cusack, Siobhan McKenna and Jack McGowran.

He joined Stuart Burge's company at the Nottingham Playhouse in 1968 playing Trigorin in The Seagull and Sir Joseph Surface in Sheridan's School For Scandal, both directed by Jonathan Miller. In 1969 he created the role of Fitzpatrick in David Storey's 'The Contractor' directed by Lindsay Anderson at the Royal Court Theatre, London. The production later transferred to the Fortune Theatre and ran for over a year. In 1973 to took on the role of Andrew Wyke opposite his friend Donally Donnelly in the Irish premiere of Peter Shaffer's 'Sleuth'. The production played to acclaim in both Dublin and Cork and it broke the box office record for the Olympia Theatre.

Later that year he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and took over the role of Robert Hand in James Joyce's only play, 'Exiles' directed by Harold Pinter. In the same season he also appeared in a rare staging of Jean Genet's 'The Balcony' directed by Terry Hands.

He returned to the RSC in 1976 for Shaw's 'The Devil's Disciple' directed by Jack Gold in a production to mark the American bicentennial celebrations as the revolutionary pastor Revd. Anderson.

In the late 1980s and 1990s he returned to the Dublin stage when he was invited by director Michael Colgan to join the Gate Theatre on a number of occasions including admired productions of Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard and No Mans Land. It was there he created the role of Dr. Rice in Brian Friel's drama, Molly Sweeney, and again at London's Almeida Theatre. Other Friel productions he appeared in were The Communication Cord (Hampstead Theatre, 1984) and The Aristocrats (2004) at the RNT in his final stage appearance.

Following his death tributes were paid by President Mary McAleese, HRH Prince Charles - the Prince of Wales, and Ireland’s Culture Minister Mary Hanafin who said: “TP was one of a great generation whose talents on the screen and stage both at home and abroad gave us all great pride in his accomplishments.”

In his native Cavan he is commemorated by the TP McKenna Drama Scholarships (VEC) and the TP McKenna Perpetual Trophy presented as part of the Millrace Annual Drama Festival.[4]